Chapter 44 044

Chapter 44 044
Chapter 44

Thalia's POV

The next day passed slowly.

I kept waiting for Ruth to tell me about these mysterious people she was talking to. But when I went to the inn for breakfast, she just said she was still working on things.

"Be patient," she told me.

I tried. But patience was hard when I knew Varian's wolves could show up any night.

Work helped distract me. Miller had me reorganizing the entire front section of the store. It was mindless work that kept my hands busy and my mind occupied.

I was moving bags of flour when the door opened.

I looked up expecting a customer.

It was a woman I'd never seen before. She was probably in her forties, with dark hair pulled back in a braid and sharp, intelligent eyes. She wore traveling clothes and carried herself with quiet confidence.

"I'm looking for Thalia," she said.

My stomach dropped. "That's me."

"Good," the woman said. She looked at Miller. "Mind if I borrow her for a few minutes?"

Miller glanced at me. I nodded slightly.

"Sure," he said. "Take your time."

The woman gestured toward the door. "Walk with me?"

I followed her outside. She didn't speak until we were away from the store, walking down a side street.

"My name is Elena," she said. "Ruth sent for me."

"What are you?" I asked.

"Lawyer," Elena said. "Specifically, I handle disputes involving pack law and neutral territories."

I stopped walking. "There are lawyers for that?"

"Not many," Elena admitted. "But yes. The packs don't like to advertise it, but there are legal frameworks that govern their interactions with neutral spaces and with wolves who leave packs."

"Ruth found you because of my situation?"

"She did," Elena said. "She explained what happened with Varian's pack. The exile, the claim that you're still bound to them. I've reviewed what she told me, and I think there's a case to be made."

Hope fluttered in my chest. Carefully, like it might break. "What kind of case?"

"Varian exiled you publicly with witnesses," Elena said. "That's a formal severing of pack bonds. He can't claim you're still under his authority after that. Legally, you're a free wolf."

"But he's saying exile and release are different," I said.

"They are different," Elena agreed. "But exile still severs the bond. The difference is mainly about honor and reputation. Release is clean. Exile is punishment. But both end your membership in the pack."

We started walking again, slower now.

"So if it's legally clear, why is Varian making this claim?" I asked.

"Because most wolves don't know the law," Elena said bluntly. "They know pack tradition, pack hierarchy, what their Alpha tells them. Very few actually understand the legal frameworks underneath it all."

"And Varian's counting on that?"

"Exactly," Elena said. "He's betting that if he makes the claim loudly enough, other Alphas will support him because it benefits them to support strict pack authority. And he's betting you won't know how to fight back."

"Can I fight back?"

Elena stopped and looked at me directly. "Yes. But it won't be easy. We'd need to file a formal challenge to his claim. That means going before a neutral arbiter—usually a council of independent wolves who adjudicate these disputes. We'd present evidence of your exile. Witness testimony if possible. Documentation."

"I don't have documentation," I said.

"Did anyone write down what happened? Keep records?"

I shook my head. "It wasn't that formal. Varian just... told me to leave."

"Were there witnesses?"

"My mother. The guards. Shelly was there." I paused. "But none of them would testify against Varian."

Elena nodded like she'd expected that. "That makes it harder. But not impossible. Your testimony matters too. And there are other ways to build a case."

"Like what?"

"Character witnesses from here in Greystone. Evidence that you've established an independent life. Proof that you're self-sufficient and not dependent on pack structure." Elena looked thoughtful. "It's not traditional evidence, but arbiters have been becoming more progressive in recent years. Some of them understand that pack law needs to evolve."

I wanted to believe her. But it sounded complicated. And uncertain.

"How long would this take?" I asked.

"To file the challenge? A few days. To get a hearing? Could be weeks or months depending on the arbiter's schedule."

"I don't have months," I said. "Cyrus said Varian's wolves could be here in a week."

Elena's expression tightened. "Cyrus told you that?"

"Yes. He's offered me protection if I join Clearwater Pack."

"Of course he has," Elena muttered. She was quiet for a moment. "Here's the thing about Alpha Cyrus. He's not wrong that he could protect you. But he's probably exaggerating the timeline to pressure you into a quick decision."

"So Varian's wolves might not come that soon?"

"They might," Elena said. "But even if they do, there are things we can do to slow them down. Filing the challenge is one. It puts Varian's claim under official scrutiny. Most Alphas won't make an aggressive move while there's an active legal proceeding—it looks bad."

"Most Alphas?"

"Varian's proud," Elena said. "And from what Ruth told me, you embarrassed him. He might push forward anyway. But it would cost him politically. Other packs would see it as disrespecting the process."

We'd reached the edge of town. Elena stopped and turned to face me fully.

"I need you to understand something," she said. "This isn't a guaranteed solution. The legal route is slower and less certain than just joining another pack. If you want absolute safety right now, Cyrus's offer is the faster choice."

"But I'd be giving up my freedom," I said.

"Yes," Elena said simply. "You would. That's the trade-off."

I looked out at the forest beyond the town. Somewhere out there, Varian was planning how to take me back. And Cyrus was waiting for me to accept his protection.

Two Alphas. Two different kinds of control.

"What would you do?" I asked Elena.

She considered the question seriously. "Honestly? I'd fight. But I'm stubborn. And I've spent my whole career fighting pack authority. I'm biased."

"But you think I have a chance?"

"I think you have a choice," Elena said. "Between accepting what Alphas tell you is inevitable, or challenging it. The challenge might not work. But at least it would be your decision."

I thought about that. About making my own choice instead of choosing between options other people gave me.

"How do we start?" I asked.

Elena smiled. "We file the paperwork. I'll need to take your formal statement about what happened with Varian. Then we submit it to the regional council. After that, we wait for them to schedule a hearing."

"And if Varian's wolves come before the hearing?"

"Then we deal with that when it happens," Elena said. "But Thalia—once the challenge is filed, you're under legal protection. Anyone who tries to take you by force is violating neutral territory laws. That's a serious offense."

"Serious enough to stop them?"

"Maybe," Elena said. "Maybe not. But it's something."

Something was better than nothing.

"Okay," I said. "Let's do it."

Elena nodded. "Good. Come by Ruth's inn tonight. We'll get your statement and file the challenge tomorrow morning."

She walked away, leaving me standing at the edge of town.

For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe.

It wasn't safety. It wasn't certainty.

But it was a chance.

And right now, that was enough.